I got my arse kicked ...

Despite 30-45 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight training 3-4 times a week, and 10 miles of hiking a week. My hunting buddy and I scouted the Beartooth WMA on mountain bike (10 miles of uphill/downhill and rugged terrain), 'em legs and arse are soar ... I'm reminded that I'm not as young as I used to be. Needless to say we called it quits by noon.

My wife and I spent days (literally) exploring the volcano's on Maui on horseback. She knows a gal who runs a carriage business on Maui and has horses that she will loan out to experienced riders. These horses (on Maui) have some serious go power and interestingly, forage on pineapple leaves.

I'm used to big horses (we have Percherons and Belgian/Standardbreds) that go forever but the 'sport' horses on Maui amazed me.

Last year I trudged around the mesa's in NM with one of our group thats half my age and I prepped for it for months...walking the dog for miles, trudging in plowed fields with a pack loaded with bottled water (and rifle) thank goodness for the bottled water btw.

..and it kicked my butt, big time. Not that altitude, I thought that would be the issue, it wasn't (I'm a flatlander, it's basically flat here in Michigan, joke is the only hills are the freeway off ramps....

It was the climbing in the hardscrabble and the sidehilling, but I did it. I was the first one to bed in the evening and the last to get up (usually). Tom (the hunter I was hiking with) made a comment to the effect that I didn't do too bad for an old fart. I was honored in as much as Tom is a Dahl Sheep hunter. He's used to being a human 4 wheel drive....

No leg cramps (was worried about that but drank plenty of water all the time) and nothing else detrimental to speak of except a week of solid Mexican food. The result was less than solid.

Glad I left the 338 lapua in the rifle case at the camp. I'd never make it carrying that tank around. I did shoot it a couple times and our guide wanted to shoot it, said he'd never fired a 338 lapua. He got his chance. His comment was "That damn thing is heavy"... I agree.

We all usually whitetail hunt here or in Ohio and none of that is overly strenuous. Altitude is low and distances are short.

I'd do it again in a minute and probably will later this winter.

You only live once, better enjoy it.

You still need a motor on that bike....lol

Get yourself a dog, a leash and go for long walks preferrably in plowed fields. Mouldboard only, chisel don't count.

Despite 30-45 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight training 3-4 times a week, and 10 miles of hiking a week. My hunting buddy and I scouted the Beartooth WMA on mountain bike (10 miles of uphill/downhill and rugged terrain), 'em legs and arse are soar ... I'm reminded that I'm not as young as I used to be. Needless to say we called it quits by noon.

On horse back is the way to go!

ADDED: Mules too.

All people do not respond to training in the same way. Some people will get fit quickly and others will have to do a huge amount of more work to get as fit.
Others will be fit and be able to out run or out perform one person but after the work is done that winner may be no good for the rest of the day but the looser will be ready to go again after a 30 minuet rest .
The human body is a very complex devise and we are all very different .
One time when I was in the Army I had to do a pre Vietnam course and the members are from all ranks and units in this particular course and even 4 SAS soldiers .
One day we had to run with full packs and rifles , ammo , food water the lot for 7 miles up and down these hills to a grenade range and run back in the afternoon . Pure F*cking murder .
On the way out about 600 meters from the finish I collapsed and was unconscious for a short while . On waking I was picked up and abused by a training instructor and he called me for all the weak bastards under the sun . I was so angry that I went after him with my rifle trying to hit him with the stock .
Lucky for him the mag was empty , I was delirious and not fully aware of what I was doing. I went after him down the track and eventually at some point he said , stop ! you have finished the run ! Suddenly I realised i was there and I collapsed in a heap. What he had done is get me angry purposely to make me mad dog mean and chase him over the Finnish line , and it worked real good.
Now for the incredible part .
In the afternoon we gear up again to run back. I am very nervous and feel I am going to fail , as I can't see that I will make it back. I start running , I feel ok and the miles go on . I still feel ok and I am passing other soldiers falling out by the wayside . " My hands are shaking on the keyboard NOW as I remember this 43 years on! "
The miles fall away and I am not getting all that fatigued and suddenly I realise I am passing two of the SAS soldiers and I'm only a few guys from the front . I feel elated and free and I'm just flying along . As I pass soldiers they look at me with a bizarre stare , " like what the hell happened to you John " .
They can't believe that the guy that passed out is kicking their asses all over the shop. . In the end I come 4th and only one SAS soldier beats me .
I have no explanation for what happened that day , only that maybe I am not as fit as many others on the first go but my powers of recuperation are " stellar" . I have noticed during my life , that I do come up better than others after many days in the bush . After one winter exercise where one soldier actually died , another soldier said to me after it was all over that I looked like I just had a holiday . At that time I was not sure what he meant. Now I know .
The training instructor that made me so angry , came to see me after the run and said , " he had never seen anything like that in his whole Army career and he had thought for sure I would need to be driven back in a vehicle at some point and it had taught him that recuperation ability is just as important as a one time performance . He also said that I may not be the fittest on any single one time run but working day after day I would run them into the ground.
So just because they kick your ass today does not mean for sure they can do it tomorrow .
I said to him thanks for getting me through the course but you are real lucky there was no ammo in my SLR . He looks at me with a funny look and leaves.